Cooperative foraging

Cooperative foraging, in biology, the process by which individuals in groups benefit by working together to gain access to food and other resources. Such cooperation ranges from the use of “pack tactics” that involve elaborate signals to corral individual animals from large herds of prey to activities designed to overwhelm with large numbers the physical and chemical defenses of plants.

Evidence of the former occurs in the hunting practices of lions (Panthera leo), hyenas (family Hyaenidae), and wolves (Canis lupus). In general, groups of predators work together to isolate one or a few animals from a larger herd. Once the prey animal is separated, it is cornered and brought down by the pack. In addition, when predators hunt in groups, their prey may become confused. Confusion can lead to the so-called “beater effect,” a condition where prey flushed out by group activity become easy to capture.